1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of high density information medium or information carrier cards, especially to magnetic cards. More particularly, an object of the invention is a tamper-proof card providing a high storage density information medium with a microcircuit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There presently exist high storage density and low storage density magnetic cards, optic reader cards as well as cards with integrated microcircuits, all of them having the credit card format according to the ISO standard No. 7810. Each technology has advantages and drawbacks.
Thus, high density magnetic cards are inexpensive, for a high storage density, and the recorded information can be updated. However, these cards are "slow" and can be easily tampered with.
Optic reader cards allow the storage of high density information. But the updating of information is not possible. These cards are also slow and easily tampered with.
Finally, the microcircuit cards have a storage capacity that depends on the available memory.
There are also known cards with a microcircuit and a magnetic track, for example, bank cards wherein the associated readers use the microcircuit and/or the information stored on the magnetic track in one and the same application.
The problem with this type of card is that the microcircuit may be detached from the card and, as the case may be, used independently, or in connection with another card, by a fraudulent person. Furthermore, the microcircuit cannot be used to optimize the management of the magnetic medium part.